Karen Byrd

Karen Byrd is a mother, artist, natural hair enthusiast and business woman from California. In 2011, Karen created Natural Girls United, a one-woman business that gives makeovers to ethnic fashion dolls. She replaces their straight hair with kinky and curly textures, to have the look and feel of ethnic-inspired hair styles.
What started as a hobby has grown into a full-time business. Afros, locs, curls, kinky hair, braids and more — Karen makes them all! She has always understood the need for our young girls and women to have positive images of themselves; because it impacts self-esteem, confidence, and how we feel about ourselves overall. Her hope is that her dolls will help others to recognize their beauty and find joy in having unique hair, skin tones and features. It’s a goal to show everyone that our beauty is amazing and worth celebrating.

Natural Girls United dolls have been featured nationally on MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry Show, The Steve Harvey Show and You & Me morning show. Her work has been published in various magazines including Sophicate's Black Hair Magazine and Upscale Magazine. As well as been shared on various websites and blogs - BET.com, HuffingtonPost.com and Yahoo News to name a few. With a customer base in both the US and internationally, Karen is looking forward to continuing to grow her business.